Eastern Region Food Co-op

01/06/2026

An abundance of good food at the May pick up day!

For this month we decided to try another source for organic products - Terra Madre in Ferntree Gully, which has an extensive range.

The minimum order from is 5kg, which is a bit tricky, but creating a WhatsApp group for co-op members meant that we could arrange for 5kg lots to be shared among several people.

A new chapter for ERFCO!

Thanks to the conventional rolled oats coming in a 25kg bag almost everyone went home with more than they planned.
Not everyone likes porridge, but oats are pretty versatile.
So, recipes, please! Your favourite way of using rolled oats to help us work our way through the surfeit. 😃

14/02/2026

A new lot of honey from Paul of Heathmont Honey.
This is just a small part of the collection of honey jars we now have waiting for co-op members!
We buy a full bucket - nearly 30kg - and decant it into jars. (If you have any empties from ERFCO pick ups we’d love to have them returned!)

The next pick up date is 28th February. Members will receive their emails in the coming week. 😊

11/03/2025

Gardeners, Take Note!

Do you garden at home? We’ll have bales of Pea Straw available for purchase at our Sustainability Fair! Pea straw is perfect for:

✔️ Mulching to retain soil moisture

✔️ Suppressing weeds naturally

✔️ Improving soil health as it breaks down

Secure yours now by emailing Helen at [email protected].

Pricing: 1 bale for $16 or 3 for $45

Pickup: After the fair ends or at a later time if you can’t make it on the day. Sunday 16th
March 10am-2pm

Don’t miss out—stock is limited! ♻️

https://www.facebook.com/events/1164949945206462

13/02/2025

If you’d like to learn more about ERFCO come along and have a chat.

🌿 Come see what’s happening at the Bedford Park Community Garden & Sustainability Hub!

🌎 THIS SUNDAY - 16th February 10am-12pm

🍒 Each month will vary a little including:

- Clothes share (no need to bring your own clothes!)
- Crop swap
- The WUP Shop
- Bike care & repair tutorial
- Soft plastics recycling

♻️ Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, Celebrate-Connect-Collaborate

🍋 Let us know you're coming - https://www.facebook.com/events/2323713944660874

08/08/2024

‘Heathmont Honey’ is our honey supplier and we have just received our new batch: delicious Red Box honey from Paul’s bees in Heathcote.

Real honey crystallises over time, and in the past it has been a challenge digging it out of the big bucket.
This time we’ve found enough bottles (26!) to decant it into while it’s still runny hunny. 👏🏼

27/07/2024

The car is loaded up with food for the July pick up.
NSM has been the bulk supplier for ERFCO since the co-op’s beginning in the 1970s.
If our order is big enough it’s delivered free of charge which certainly beats a Friday afternoon trip to and from Brunswick!
There are times when items we order aren’t available, but NSM has always been supportive of the co-op, and according to the delivery driver they’re very good employers.

Visiting NSM’s retail shop is an experience. So many food products!
Worth a trip some time, and you won’t come away empty-handed!

24/05/2024

This month’s order stacked into the car ready for the pickup tomorrow.
Thanks to our supplier NSM and the delivery man!

21/08/2023

ERFCO is accepting new members.

The co-op offers non-perishable foods including dried fruit, nuts, seeds, rice, lentils, flour, oats and more.
We have both conventional and organic products.
Prices vary from pick up to pick up but are generally considerably cheaper than in the supermarket.

We also have cleaning vinegar, honey (from a local apiarist) and Dr Planet Liquid Castile Soap.

We have five order cycles per year, with ordering done online through Open Food Network, and pick ups at the Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Because we are a co-operative we do ask that members volunteer a few times per year to assist with the running of the co-op e.g. setting up and cleaning up on pick up days, buying help, and taking payments.

Please email us for information on how a co-op works, list of available products and recent prices.

(Much of this was on this page, but seems to have gone awol!)

[email protected]

NOTE: ERFCO no longer organises the organic fruit and vegie boxes.

06/06/2023

We have just noticed that, unbeknown to ERFCO’s conveners, a number of people have had their contact details added to our Mailchimp account.

If you are are keen to become an active member of ERFCO, please email the co-op at [email protected].

Apologies to all who may have been expecting a response from us. We don’t know how the page managed to do that!

Clearly one of the things the co-op needs is someone with more technical expertise than the current team!

If you think you might be one of the people who left your details for us, please get in touch. 🙂